A $70,000 Fee on OPT? What the US Proposal Means for Indian Students

In short: The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed charging $70,000 for a student's first OPT and $30,000 for every later OPT period, including the STEM extension. This is a proposal, not a rule. Public comments close on 9 November 2026, and nothing changes for students until a final rule is published.

What is OPT, and why does this matter so much?

OPT (Optional Practical Training) is the permission that lets students on an F-1 visa work in the US in their field, during or after their course. For many Indian families, it is the main reason the US is worth the cost: a year or more of US work experience, and for STEM graduates a longer extension, before the loan is repaid.

According to the proposal itself, about one in five of the 1.4 million F-1 students in US higher education used OPT in 2024, and 165,524 students were on the STEM extension that year.

What happened

On 8 October 2026, DHS published a proposed rule called "Optional Practical Training Fees" in the US Federal Register. The main points:

• $70,000 for the first OPT, whether it is taken during studies (pre-completion) or after graduating (post-completion).
• $30,000 for each OPT after that, including the 24-month STEM extension. A student who takes OPT during studies and again after graduating would trigger both fees.
• The university pays it, before its international office can recommend the student for OPT. The proposal says universities may pass the cost on to students or to employers.
• No exemption for small colleges. DHS says it considered one but did not propose it.
• A refund may be requested if the student never receives the work permit, decided case by case.

The proposal says the fee would apply only to OPT recommendations dated on or after the rule's start date, which would be 60 days after a final rule is published. There is no date yet for a final rule.

For students

1. Don't change plans in panic. A proposed rule can be changed, delayed or dropped after public comments. Keep preparing your applications.
2. Ask each university a direct question. "If this fee becomes final, will you pay it, share it, or charge it to students?" Universities will have to decide, and their answers will differ.
3. Check whether your plan depends on OPT during studies. Since the first OPT of any kind would cost $70,000, taking OPT before you graduate could mean paying twice.
4. Students already in the US: the fee would apply to recommendations made after a final rule takes effect. If you graduate in 2027, keep in close touch with your international office.
5. Keep a second country on your list. The UK, Ireland, Germany and others have their own post-study routes, each with its own rules.

For parents

The real question for families is the loan. Many education loans are planned on the idea that OPT income will start the repayments. If the fee becomes final and a university passes it on, that maths changes completely.

• Plan the budget as if OPT income is not certain. If the plan only works with OPT income, treat that as a risk, not a given.
• Get answers in writing. A university's email about how it will handle the fee is worth more than a brochure line about "work opportunities".
• Hold off on large non-refundable payments for Fall 2027 until the picture is clearer, where the university's timeline allows it.
• Anyone can read the full proposal. Comments are accepted only through regulations.gov, under docket number ICEB-2026-0100, until 9 November 2026.

Key dates

Date	What
8 Oct 2026	Proposal published in the Federal Register
9 Nov 2026	Last day for public comments
Not yet fixed	DHS reviews comments and may publish a final rule
60 days after a final rule	The fee would start

Sources

• US Federal Register: Optional Practical Training Fees, proposed rule, 8 October 2026 (91 FR 64566), checked 23 October 2026
• Regulations.gov: docket ICEB-2026-0100, Optional Practical Training Fees, checked 23 October 2026

Dates can change. Confirm on the official website before you pay or apply.

More on easyapply.in when useful.